Apparatus and method for supplying fuel to internal combustion engines

Abstract

Apparatus and method for supplying fuel to an internal combustion engine. The heated exhaust gases from the internal combustion engine are brought into direct and indirect contact with a liquid hydrocarbon fuel injected into a fuel chamber to form a mixture of vaporized liquid hydrocarbon fuel and heated exhaust gases. The mixture is passed through a passageway and further heated by non-contacting exhaust gases from the internal combustion engine to reform the mixture to hydrogen gas within the passageway for combustion in the internal combustion engine.

I claim: 
     
       1. Apparatus for use with an internal combustion engine for supplying fuel to said internal combustion engine, said apparatus comprising, in combination: a fuel chamber defining a fuel chamber interior for holding a quantity of liquid hydrocarbon fuel;   fuel injector means for injecting liquid hydrocarbon fuel into said fuel chamber interior;   means for receiving heated exhaust gases from said internal combustion engine for heating said fuel chamber and liquid hydrocarbon fuel in said fuel chamber interior to directly contact the heated liquid hydrocarbon fuel in said liquid chamber interior to form a mixture of vaporized liquid hydrocarbon fuel and heated exhaust gases within said fuel chamber interior;   means defining a passageway in communication with said fuel chamber interior for receiving said mixture of vaporized liquid hydrocarbon fuel and heated exhaust gases from said fuel chamber interior; and   means operatively associated with said passageway defining means for receiving heated exhaust gases from said internal combustion engine and directing said heated exhaust gases into engagement with said passageway defining means to heat the mixture of vaporized liquid hydrocarbon fuel and heated exhaust gases in the passageway and reform at least a portion of said mixture of vaporized liquid hydrocarbon fuel and heated exhaust gases to hydrogen gas for combustion in said internal combustion engine.   
     
     
       2. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said fuel chamber has a bottom and a top and wherein said passageway defining means comprises a conduit including a conduit wall and a conduit entry end, said conduit entry end being located above said fuel chamber bottom. 
     
     
       3. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said means for receiving heated exhaust gases from said internal combustion engine for heating said fuel chamber and liquid hydrocarbon fuel in said chamber interior includes a plenum defining a plenum chamber accommodating said heated exhaust gases, said plenum having a plenum inlet for the ingress of heated exhaust gases into said plenum chamber and a plenum outlet for the egress of heated exhaust gases from said plenum chamber. 
     
     
       4. The apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said passageway defining means comprises a conduit having at least a segment thereof within said plenum chamber and engaged by the heated exhaust gases in said plenum chamber. 
     
     
       5. The apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said plenum at least partially encompasses said fuel chamber and said plenum chamber is at least partially defined by said fuel chamber whereby said fuel chamber is engaged and heated by heated exhaust gases in said plenum chamber to heat the liquid hydrocarbon fuel in said chamber interior and contribute to the vaporization of the liquid hydrocarbon fuel in said chamber interior. 
     
     
       6. The apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said plenum chamber defines a substantially circular flow path for heated exhaust gases in said plenum chamber and wherein said conduit segment has a substantially circular configuration. 
     
     
       7. The apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said plenum includes plenum walls defining said plenum chamber and wherein said conduit segment is suspended within said plenum chamber and out of engagement with said plenum walls. 
     
     
       8. The apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said means for receiving exhaust gases from said internal combustion engine for heating said fuel chamber and liquid hydrocarbon fuel in the chamber interior includes a pipe for receiving heated, combustion gases in said plenum and for directing the heated combustion gases received thereby into said chamber interior. 
     
     
       9. A method of supplying fuel to an internal combustion engine, said method comprising the steps of: injecting liquid hydrocarbon fuel into a fuel chamber defining a fuel chamber interior so that the liquid hydrocarbon fuel occupies only a portion of said fuel chamber interior;   after said liquid hydrocarbon fuel has been injected into said fuel chamber interior, heating said fuel chamber and liquid hydrocarbon fuel in said fuel chamber with exhaust gases from said internal combustion engine while substantially simultaneously introducing heated exhaust gases from said internal combustion engine into said fuel chamber interior;   mixing the liquid hydrocarbon fuel injected into said fuel chamber interior with the heated exhaust gases introduced into said fuel chamber interior to form a mixture of vaporized liquid hydrocarbon fuel and heated exhaust gases within the fuel chamber interior;   passing the mixture of vaporized liquid hydrocarbon fuel and heated exhaust gases through a passageway in communication with said fuel chamber interior;   heating the mixture of vaporized liquid hydrocarbon fuel and heated exhaust gases in said passageway with heated exhaust gases from said internal combustion engine to reform at least a portion of said mixture of vaporized liquid hydrocarbon fuel and heated exhaust gases in said passageway to hydrogen gas; and   combusting said hydrogen gas in said internal combustion engine.   
     
     
       10. The method according to claim 9 wherein said passageway is at least partially positioned in a plenum chamber, said heating step including flowing heated exhaust gases from said internal combustion engine through said plenum chamber.